53-year-old former WWE star announces heartbreaking in-ring retirement: "I got diagnosed with a stroke in my eye"

A popular 53-year-old former WWE Superstar recently announced their heartwrenching retirement from in-ring competition due to health reasons. The name in question is Tony DeVito.

The real-life Anthony DeVito competed in WWE (then WWF) in the 1990s. During his tenure with the Stamford-based promotion, the star faced several high-profile names, including The Rock (fka Rocky Maivia) and The Undertaker. The wrestling veteran has made a name in Ring of Honor (ROH) as well, where he won the ROH Tag Team Championship. He has also trained many wrestlers, including former NXT star Bobby Fish.

During a recent ALW show in Cocoa, Florida, Tony DeVito announced his in-ring retirement. The former WWE star shared his heartbreaking story, revealing that he was diagnosed with a stroke in his eye, and he was told by the doctors that he wouldn't be able to wrestle anymore.

"I woke up that morning, and I could not see out of my left eye. Now I was born, and I can’t see out of my right eye already. I was born that way. That day, I went to a doctor. I got diagnosed with a stroke in my eye. So basically, that means I had a blood clot, the blood leaked out. I have blood behind my retina. Doctors told me that wrestling is done," he said.

DeVito highlighted that he had been in the wrestling business for quite some time, noting that he had wrestled in WWE (then WWF), ECW, and ROH. The star added that although he was done competing inside the squared circle, he will return to the world of professional wrestling in some capacity in the future.

"I’ve been in the business longer than most of the guys in the locker room are old. I’ve wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation. I’ve wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling. I’m a former Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champion. I’ve done a lot of good stuff in this business. This ain’t really a goodbye. This is I’ll see you later, because I’m not done with this business. I may not be able to come in here and compete and do what I love to do, but some way, somehow, I will be here," he added. [H/T Ringside News]

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Tony DeVito wrestled in WWE in 2006 as well

Apart from his run in the 1990s, Tony DeVito wrestled in WWE in 2006 as well. The veteran appeared in an episode of ECW on Sci Fi, where he wrestled under the ring name Macho Libre. He was defeated by The Sandman in a squash match.

Although DeVito's time inside the ring has come to an end, fans of the hardcore icon will love to see him make appearances in the pro wrestling world in the future.

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We at Sportskeeda wish Tony DeVito good health and hope he gets to return to pro wrestling in some capacity.

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Edited by Aashrit Satija